LEWIS CROW

Describe yourself in two words.

Plot junkie.  Give me a great story, and you've got my attention.

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What kind of writer do you see yourself as?

A storyteller.

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What got you interested in writing adventure stories?

As a teenager, I had two amazing movie experiences: seeing Star Wars on opening day and watching 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea on TV for the first time.  It was a perfect storm that ignited a boy's imagination.

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Why did you decide to write The Nautilus Legacy?

After seeing the film and reading Verne's two books (20,000 Leagues and Mysterious Island) I wanted to find a way for the story of Nemo to continue.  I didn't want it to end. 

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Any hesitation about revisiting such a legendary character as Captain Nemo?

Hesitation?  No.  But I felt a strong obligation to be respectful to what Verne had created.  Some of the various adaptations that have been done went rather far afield from his stories.  In fact, one of the things I'm most proud of is restoring Verne's original intention for Nemo to be Polish, instead of Indian.  It made everything line up beautifully for the story. 

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Did you do a lot of research as you wrote?

Absolutely!  Scientific, historical, biographical, geographical, you name it.  I feel like I got another education just from the process.  I wanted to keep it interesting and not repeat things Verne had already done.

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How does The Nautilus Legacy differ from sequels that have been written by others?

I decided not to work outside the universe Verne created (other than Nemo's nationality).  Whatever I did had to be consistent with the characters and events of his Nemo books.  My story requires certain loopholes in order to exist (i.e., not all of Nemo's family died), so I made sure they could be found/created within the words Verne wrote or the places where he was not specific.  In that sense, I see it as a natural continuation as opposed to a reimagining.

 

There's a notable time jump when The Lone Captain begins.  Was that deliberate?

Yes and no.  It was necessary to line up with the actual historical events that appear in the story.  I didn't really think about it at the time, but in retrospect, it leaves a nice gap to fill in with other stories....  : )

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Who is your favorite film Nemo?

James Mason.  And Disney's Nautilus is the only Nautilus, if you know what I mean.  It's the ship I envision when I write.

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Would you want to travel on an actual submarine?

Probably not.  Some things are best left to the imagination....